Life After Panem
by hezasan
Summary: When Peeta and Katniss escape to their new home in the woods, feelings are faced, love is made, and consequences are had. This is the story of Peeta and Katniss, post-epilogue.
1. Chapter 1

It was late summer and the air around me was stale and hot, but that didn't stop me from getting chills. We were laid out on our bed. The windows were cracked, and I wished I could blame my goose-flesh on a chiily breeze, but the truth was, the way he touched me made me shiver with pleasure. Lust. He ran his hands along my stomach again, chuckling at my reaction to his touch.

I blushed wildly at his laugh. I couldn't conceal what he did to me. I groaned and closed my eyes as he went back to rubbing my stomach, surveying his canvas.

"You're beautiful." He whispered to me, finally touching his brush to my skin.

I shivered again. I loved hearing the real Peeta. He still had his hijack moments, but for the most part, my Peeta was back. Without thinking, I parted my lips and spoke, "I love you."

There was silence, then the sound of bed springs groaning from movement. I felt his breath on my face, then his soft lips gently press against mine. I opened my eyes and gazed at his face for a long time. I knew he loved me. He didn't have to say it. But I wanted him to. I said it again, "I love you."

"Katniss . . . I love you too." He said, hesitating, then kissed me again. "Now close your eyes."

I followed his instructions and closed them tightly. All my senses hightened, and I shivered again as he made more stokes with his brush on my skin.

"Katniss. You love me. Real or not real?" Peeta spoke through the silence.

"Real, of course." I answer, annoyed that he still had to ask.

"Okay . . . You like sleeping with me at night. Real or not real?"

I frowned, wondering where this was coming from.

"Peeta, why are yo-"

"Real or not real?"

I blushed and reluctantly answered, "Real."

"And you'd be willing to sleep with me everynight? For a long time?"

I opened my eyes against his request, and met his serious blue eyes. There was an odd look in them, a strange nervous look. I gave him a perplexed look, then glanced down at my stomach to see what he was painting. It caught me completely off guard.

"Oh my God, Peeta . . . " I said, covering my mouth. He had painted a beautiful swirl in a sunset color all over my torso. The swirl melted into a heart halfway down, and in the heart were words.

MARRY ME

"You weren't supposed to look yet . . . " Peeta said, blushing and looking down.

"This is how you feel? You want to marry me? That's why you asked those questions?" I looked at him, trying to reach his eyes.

"Katniss, I know that I'm still a bit messed up from the Capitol, but I'm back, this is me, and I love you. I'm in love with you, Katniss. And I want to sleep in your bed everynight as your husband. Marry me, Katniss." Peeta said passionately, looking deep into my eyes for a hint of an answer.

"Yes. Yes! Peeta, yes, I love you. I'll marry you!" I say, wrapping my arms around his neck. He sighed, relieved that his feelings have been returned. He hugged back tightly and lays me down gently on the blanket beneeth us.

"Peeta? . . . " I ask.

He simply kissed my lips and grabbed for his brush. He took my left hand and painted a thin ring of orange around my ring finger. I blushed and met his eyes again, confused, but happy.

"So it's official." He says, no longer able to contain a smile.

I smile back and pull his chest close to mine, breathing in his scent. Nothing could be more perfect than laying here, in our bed, with my Peeta. My husband, Peeta.


	2. Oh Peeta

I woke up to the early sun beaming on my face. It was too bright for my tired eyes, so I turned my head and shifted my body closer to Peeta's. But he wasn't there. My eyes flew open and I shot straight up. I peered about the room, but he wasn't anywhere. Not in the closet, not in the bathroom. Nowhere. An instinctive panic rose in my chest and I hopped out of bed.

"Peeta?" I called, trying to keep my voice calm. He didn't answer.

"Peeta?" I yelled this time, running down the stairs, preparing myself for the possibilities for his absence.

I flew down the flights of stairs and grabbed my bow by the door. I threw the quiver of arrows over my shoulder and yanked the front door wide open. I stepped out of the house and yelled once more, letting my panic show in my voice.

"Peeta!"

Still no answer. _Okay, Katniss, think. He could be hijacked. He could be confused, he could be hurt. He could have gone far. He could be dead._

"No. Not dead." I wimper to myself. I gasped loudly, trying to remove the thought of my Peeta dead from my mind.

I screamed again, terrified at this point, "PEETA!"

No answer.

I fall back against the side of the house, overwhelmed with horrible, horrible thoughts. I just about lose myself when I heard footsteps thumping behind me, coming from the house. I pull an arrow from my quiver and take aim at the noise.

"Woah, Katniss!" Peeta says in a scared tone, "What's wrong?"

I stare at him in disbelief. He was fine! Covered in flour, but in perfect condition. He wasn't hijacked. He was safe in the house this whole time.

I walk up to him quickly and without thinking, slap him straight across the face.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I thought something was wrong! Why didn't you answer me? I was yelling my damn head off!" I scream at him.

He looks at me with a shocked expression and brings his hand up to my face. He wipes a tear off of my cheek.

"Katniss, I'm sorry. I was in the kitchen, the fire was getting loud, I must not have heard you. I didn't mean to make you worry, I'm so sorry. Don't cry." He says, pulling me into my arms.

"I . . . I thought you were . . . " I say between sobs. I hug him tighter to my body and kiss his neck.

"I know, I'm sorry. I should have left a note for you."

I don't answer and continue crying for a few more minutes. He finally pulls away and kisses my forehead. I look into his eyes, then notice a red mark across the left side of his face. It was bright and rather large. Had that been from me? I frowned and reached up to kiss my slap mark.

"I'm so sorry about that . . . I can't believe I hit you. I shouldn't have done that." I say, breaking our eye contact.

"It's fine sweetheart. Wanna see what I made for you?" He asks, taking my hand.

He leads me back into the house and to the kitchen. I am immediately hit with the aroma of fresh bread and cakes. I look for the source of the smell and find a basket filled with bread on the counter. If I had smelled the bread earlier I wouldn't have freaked out like I did.

"It's for a picnic. I thought I'd surprise you!" Peeta says happily, smiling.

"Oh wow! It smells delicious, when did you think of this?" I ask, looking more closely at the basket. There wasn't just bread and cake inside, there were sanwiches, blackberries, and even meat. How did Peeta get meat?

"Peeta? Is that . . . rabbit meat?" I ask him.

"Yeah! I woke up pretty early, it was still dark out. I wanted to do something special for our engagement, so I made a picnic basket! I was going to take you out into the woods . . . Why are you looking at me like that?"

I realize that I'm staring at him with my mouth wide open. I close my mouth and look away before speaking again.

"I'm just surprised! You did all of this, and even went hunting. How did you go hunting?" I question him.

He laughs and answers, "Don't worry Katniss, I didn't go off alone. I didn't even shoot the thing. You can thank Haymitch for the rabbit."

Haymitch hunts? I realize that I'm complicating Peeta's random act of kindness. I shake any questions of the meal from my head and kiss him sweetly on the lips. He smiles at me and brings my left hand up to his face.

"Your ring is fading," He says, looking down at my ring finger.

He's right. The orange ring he painted onto my finger yesterday, the ring that symbolized our engagement, was rubbing off.

"I'll make you a new one. A ring that will last forever." He says, kissing my hand.

He smiles at me again, knowing it never takes much to make me blush. He releases my hand and grabs the basket.

"You ready?" Peeta asks, walking to the front door.

I grab a blanket and follow him out of our house.


End file.
